


Deadly Potions

by sheankelor



Series: Kingsley's Specialists [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabbles, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 04:14:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7559677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheankelor/pseuds/sheankelor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Potion Ingredients are on the market that are harming Potion Masters and takers alike. Severus is sent in and Harry is left behind... which works as normal. HP/SS written in drabbles</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Summer Reading, Show, then Tell, and an Atmosphere

**Author's Note:**

> Written in drabble form once again for the LJ/IJ/DW Snarry-100 challenge. Lots of them done here. 
> 
> Originally published at FFnet on10/24/14-12/6/14

"Severus, a summer reading for you." Kingsley gestured towards a folder. "I need your opinion as a Potions Master."

Severus opened the folder and scanned the material inside. "There are many ways for the nightshade family to be modified, but I have never seen results like these. Where are these potion ingredients coming from?"

"Wales, near the coast. I need you to investigate how the growers are modifying them."

"Grower's protection? They have the right to keep their methods a secret."

"Not when it endangers lives."

"Can Harry come?'

"Sorry Severus, not this time."

**(o.o)**

Severus peered at the preserved ingredients, taking in the slight change in colour. The mandrakes felt off to him. There was nothing he could pinpoint, but he knew that there was something wrong. He chalked it up to experience. The belladonna and Jimson weed were the same.

"Who are the victims – the ones who used these ingredients?" Severus waited for Kingsley's reply.

"UK and European Potions Masters. All ranks. If I could find out specific identification for the ingredients, I would have them pulled from our market."

Severus showed Kingsley just what colour patterns to look for.

**(o.o)**

"You have to go on your own? But no-one is supposed to do a mission alone. That was one of Kingsley's rules."

Severus knew telling Harry about this was going to be difficult. "He told me this one was an exception. I have to be deep undercover, posing as a herbalist."

"Pray, tell me, how are they not going to know you are Severus Snape?'

Severus held up a small vial. "One of the Twins' inventions. It will change a person's facial structure, hair and eyes, and it last for three weeks or until the antidote is administered."

**(o.o)**

Severus wrapped Harry tight in his arms as the dark head rested on his shoulder, spent from their passionate farewell. The atmosphere in their bedroom was thick with the scent of him and Harry.

Drawing in a deep breath, Severus tried to make this moment last as long as it could.

Harry's muffled voice cause hot puffs of air to move across his neck with each word."Did he say how long you were going to be gone?"

Running a hand through the messy hair, Severus shifted to pull the covers over them. "No, it is another open-ended mission."

"Course."


	2. Catching spring fever, A strange arrangement, It's important, and Showing caution

"Our last herbalist … left suddenly. We believe it was Spring Fever."

Severus' eye narrowed slightly as he listened to the owner. The shift of the man's eyes and his tone told Severus that the herbalist was no longer alive. _'One more thing to find out about – that is Harry's speciality.'_

"You're not attached to anyone, are you? No one that would draw you away, or would wish to stay with you. Spring Fever is very hard to defeat if the distractions are already there."

' _That is why Kingsley wanted me alone – he knew about this.'_

**(o.o)**

Shaking his head, Severus frowned slightly. "Only a noisome young man. He is a son of a good friend, but most of our time was spent hating each other. If he shows up he'll stay only long enough to annoy."

A smile filled the owner's face. "Good, then if you're willing to work with us exclusively, and are willing to swear a binding oath not to share our secrets, then we would be pleased to have you."

Severus nodded slowly. "Of course." He continued when the man looked slightly surprised. "I would expect no less from a cutting edge grower."

**(o.o)**

Severus left the office, and followed the directions towards the greenhouses. _'Binding oath... I am pleased that Kingsley listened to my suggestion to find a counter for them. I had no idea that Molly Weasley was that creative, but given her brood it makes sense.'_

His steps took him to the edge of the cliff and he could hear the waves pound into them as he found the small footpath. He was meet by a farmer as he rounded the first bend. The sharp green eyes, which almost reminded him of Harry's, caught his attention. This man was very crafty.

**(o.o)**

"So, these are the ones that we are selling to the international market?" Severus ran an eye over the strangely coloured Jimson weed.

"Yes, the problem is the colour. You're a herbalist, how can we correct the colour? How could've it changed in the first place?"

"I need to test the soil."

"Of course." The farmer studied him for a moment before gesturing to the ground.

Bending over, Severus touched the soil as he took in the strange arrangements of the plants. Normally, you would not grow this many plants together in the same container bed.

**(o.o)**

While Severus took the soil samples, he noticed that there were a multitude of spells cast on upon the ground. Stretching his senses out, he tried to determine what they did.

A few – watering and nutrition – were in the typical arrangements. Just beyond those were ones that he could only tease partial information out of, but what he could get he knew that they were not normal.

' _Harry would be able to figure this out, or at least understand the strangeness of it all. He could determine who cast them and possible see the ties between them.'_

**(o.o)**

Kingsley watched as Harry stared at the door. He knew the younger man was listening to him, but that his mind was not completely there. _'I wish I could've sent him with Severus, but there was no way – not with that group.'_ Flipping through his stack of folders, he found what he needed.

"Potter, I have an important task for you."

Harry focused on the Minister. "What is it, sir?"

Kingsley pushed a folder towards him.

"An Atrium ward check?"

"Yes, an Unspeakable reported an anomaly, I need you to find out what."

"Yes, sir."

**(o.o)**

To work in the Atrium of the Ministry Harry dosed himself with the Weasleys' newest creation and then slipped into the far corner. Caution was always needed when he worked in such a public place. If someone recognized him and disturbed him … well the effect could be catastrophic.

' _I wish Severus was here. He could glare at people and then they would never come near me, no matter if I looked like Potter or John Smith.'_

A sigh escaped his lips. Severus was still gone, and according to Kingsley there was no chance of communication. _'They're being overcautious.'_

**(o.o)**

Leaning against the wall, Harry focused on the power running behind him. Ever since he held all three Hallows, he was sensitive to magical signatures. That, with his defence ability, made him capable of reading wards and spells.

Following the lines that he knew, Harry found the anomaly. Working carefully, he was able to pick out the caster's signature. He then delved into the magical line, wishing Severus were there to ground him, and determined the intent of the spell.

Two hours later he walked into Kingsley's office. "The Unspeakable was right, there was an anomaly."

"Was?"

"Was."

 


	3. It blows, It sucks, A reunion, Questions, and a Spark

Harry held the dandelion's seed head gently in his fingers. Facing the direction that Severus had gone, he stared at the small globe of fluff.

"Tell him I love him. I miss him. I think of him every night. I wish … hope we can be together soon."

The wind swirled around him, but not one of the tiny seeds moved in the breeze. Drawing a breath, Harry blew the seeds away, knowing they would carry his words to Severus, as well as his wish.

Closing his eyes, Harry it wouldn't be much longer. Waiting wasn't part of his psyche.

**(o.o)**

The shed door closed behind Severus and he searched the semi-darkness. He was able to suppress his shudder when he found the last herbalist because he'd seen worse working for Voldemort, but not by much. This gave new meaning to the phrase "pushing up the daisies". The man's body was locked into one of the nutrient solution vats, and hoses were sucking the fluid out slowly and dispersing it onto the crops.

Leaving the shed, Severus walked to his small flat with the image burned into his mind. It took but a moment to record and store away the memory.

**(o.o)**

Evening was falling slowly, and Severus was watching it darken the landscape. The sight he had seen earlier tried to invade his mind. Closing his eyes, he willed it away, remembering Harry's green eyes instead of the sharp, hard ones of the lead grower, Derrick, that all evidence pointed to killing the last herbalist.

He sucked in a deep breath when he heard Harry's voice surrounding him. Opening his eyes, he was amazed to see himself in a sea of dandelion fluff. Each 'I love you' was a balm for his soul.

Soon - this would be over. Soon.

**(o.o)**

It was less than a week from finding the herbalist that Severus spotted Harry walking calmly along the cliff edge, the sea breeze blowing his black hair about. Scowling to mask his happiness, he growled out. "That boy decided to show up. I wonder what trouble he means to cause me."

Derrick looked where the herbalist was glaring. "He's not allowed in the greenhouses, or the buildings."

"I know. I'll take him to my flat and see if I can convince him that just seeing him was annoying enough." Severus dusted off his trousers. "If I succeed he'll leave."

**(o.o)**

"You shouldn't be here." Severus glared at Harry, knowing that Derrick was watching their reunion avidly.

Harry returned the glare full force. "I just couldn't stay away. I had to find out what you were up to."

Grabbing Harry's arm, Severus pulled the younger man tightly against him and with just a small warning, he apparated them away. As soon as they appeared in his flat, Severus wrapped his arms around Harry, kissing him soundly before he began to explain.

"You have to pretend to be here to make my life miserable."

Harry grinned. "I can do that."

**(o.o)**

Harry almost laughed at Severus' expression. Instead, he asked the question that had been eating at him for weeks. "What is going on, Severus?"

Severus pulled him towards the bedroom. "There are modified potions ingredients being sold which are hurting the people who are using them. Kingsley sent me to infiltrate their organization. _Only_ me since he knew that they do not want anyone with connections to anybody. They accepted that you are a brat who hates me and might pop up to annoy me."

"Have you found out what's going on?"

"Yes, but not all the evidence."

**(o.o)**

Harry and Severus both pulled their wands as the bedroom door closed behind them, casting a multitude of privacy spells that only reinforced the ones that Severus already had on the flat.

Harry leaned in and let his lips trail up the side of Severus' neck, his question coming out in little gusts over the warming skin. "Anything I can help with?"

A small groan escaped Severus' lips and his answer was right behind it. "Spells in the soil." He pulled Harry back so he could continue. "Can you check them out from the base of the cliff?"

"I'll try."

**(o.o)**

After those words left Harry's mouth, Severus leaned into a long kiss – softer and less desperately needy than the one earlier.

"I have an hour before I have to be back." Severus peered down into the green eyes that he would never again compare to Derrick's. There was a spark deep in them -one of compassion, of desire, and of understanding.

"I think that will be enough time." Harry pushed Severus back towards the bed while undoing both of their buttons. "We can talk later tonight when I'm not so distracted."

The plan met with Severus' approval.


	4. Midsummer, Relaxing on a beach, Permission and a Family Feud

Severus placed a small vial on the table. "The whole thing."

"I was spotted yesterday, how will you explain me looking different?"

"I hexed you in an attempt to get you to go away."

"But I remained. It is midsummer and I want to drive you mad."

Severus' currently light blue eyes brightened. "You did drive me mad. That can be the only reason why we are together."

Harry laughed and downed the potion. Closing his eyes, he waited for the twisting feeling to go away before he responded. "You drove me mad, and it wasn't midsummer."

**(o.o)**

"Well, what do I look like?" Harry looked about for a mirror.

"Your hair is a bit lighter, and your eyes are a medium brown. The scar has vanished and you look like anyone you could meet on the street and not remember." Severus leant forwards slightly and wrapped his fingers about Harry's hands. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted the light auburn hair that was currently his. Harry had played with it last night and then declared that he preferred it black. "Today, you are going to check on the spell lines?"

"I am."

**(o.o)**

Harry walked along the narrow beach path, his fingers trailing along the rock facing. He had made a point earlier of irritating Severus publicly and had been ordered away. So, he was circling as close as he could just to be annoying according to Severus.

Sinking to the sand, he leant against the cliff wall and watched as the water licked at the sand. _'This would be a more fun if Severus was here next to me.'_

He let the sounds of the waves wash over him, relaxing him until he felt the ward lines in the stone behind him.

**(o.o)**

Severus felt the moment that Harry's magic connected with his. His partner had full permission to use him as an anchor and a ground whenever Harry needed to, but this time he was going to show Harry what he had observed already.

Touching the soil, he directed Harry to the strange spells that were under the standard greenhouse ones.

Severus could feel Harry's probe wrap about his and follow it to where Severus was directing him to. A look out of the corner of his eye caused him to pray that Harry would finish soon. Derrick was watching him intently.

**(o.o)**

Harry followed Severus' guide and almost puked.

Death, cloying and sickly sweet, was clinging to the spells that were lying just below the surface. The nutrients that feed the plants were laced with it, and Harry knew that the last herbalist wasn't the only one to have met their demise at these people's hands. Determining the names of the others, he then pulled out of the morass and back to himself.

Dusting the sand off his trousers, Harry headed into town. It was time to put Severus' permissions to be annoying to use finding evidence on how the others died.

**(o.o)**

"A feud? The Oswalds were fighting over who'd have control over the family business?" Harry pushed a pint closer to the man.

"Yeah. Those brothers fought since the day they were born. Wouldn't be surprised none if old Matthew did his twin in. No one ever found the body – Gregory just up and vanished one night."

Harry knew exactly where Gregory Oswald was, as well as his wife and children. There was no chance someone else would step forward to claim the business.

"I'd worry about that herbalist even if you don't like him. They vanish."

 


	5. Love letters, one May day, an Answer, and Ambition

Harry wrapped his invisibility cloak around him and then cast a silencing spell on his entire person. There was no way he wanted to be caught sneaking about the farm. The rest of the morning was spent working his way through tightly warded files, the size of the files was the reason for the amount of time, not the wards.

He eventually found what he was looking for in a folder called Love Letters. The images inside made him sick up on the floor. A quick movement of his wand cleansed the mess. "These are no bloody love letters. They're trophies."

**(o.o)**

Harry set that folder aside and hunted for any other misnamed file. His search gave him information on not only Matthew Oswald, but every person who was working there. The head gardener had the thickest folder. As he scanned through it, Harry felt a feral grin slip on his face.

Not every follower of Voldemort was allowed the Dark Mark making them harder to find since that May day that ended the War. Harry was holding proof of one here. Every one of Derrick's actions for Voldemort, including during the Final Battle, was documented and presented as part of his job description.

**(o.o)**

Harry drifted out of the office after putting it back exactly as he found it. Walking along the beaten paths so as not to leave a trail, he found Severus in a greenhouse alone. Removing his silencing charm, he whispered so low that even Severus would have problems understanding him. "Derrick worked for Voldemort."

Severus narrowed his eyes slightly. That explained a lot. Now they needed to catch him.

Harry left as quietly as he came, and spent the afternoon on the grounds finding answers to the final resting place of every vanished person and who had put them there.

**(o.o)**

"Ambition, pure unadulterated ambition. Matthew Oswald wanted the business and he took it."

Severus compressed his lips slightly. "But why does he kill off the herbalists and other workers?"

"They find out what happened and so he gets rid of them."

"Then why hire outside help? Why me?"

"Because they've messed up their product and no one knows how to fix it."

"It is a very easy fix now that I know what is going on."

"Really?"

"Yes, you never give the nightshade family death as a nutrient – they'll always become deadly."


	6. Above and beyond, Promise, Rest and relaxation, and Persuasion

Between Severus' and his evidence, Harry knew they had enough answers to Kingsley's question. It was time to get the aurors out here. The next morning, he let Severus force him to leave.

"Kingsley, we need to get Severus out of there soon." Harry dropped a copy of the evidence on the desk and waited while the Minister flipped through it.

"This is above and beyond what I thought you would find." Kingsley looked up at Harry, a slow smile curling his lips.

"Is it enough to get Severus out and the aurors in?"

"Yes, it is."

**(o.o)**

The aurors made it there before Severus was pulled out. Red robes flooded the buildings and all the grounds as soon as magical travel was blocked.

As they entered the greenhouse Derrick grabbed Severus to use as a hostage.

"Stun them both. If they fight, you know what to do."

Severus curled one hand around the handle of his wand and the other flashed the Specialist Identifier sign subtly as Derrick screeched near his ear.

"Let me go! I promise you - I'll kill him if you don't!" Derrick's wand dug into Severus' side.

"Why should they?"

**(o.o)**

Severus felt the stares of the aurors at his calm question and continued. "To them I am the same as you, a possible suspect."

"You're in league with them. I know it."

The wand dug deeper into his side. "I promise you, I am not an auror."

"Then how did this happen now?"

"Remove your wand from my side." Severus waited a moment.

As Derrick pushed them towards the door, Severus shoved him, making him trip and crash into a wall.

" _Incarcerous."_

Turning about, Severus gestured to the prisoner. "He's all yours."

"Thank you, sir."

**(o.o)**

Harry stretched out across the blanket and watched as Severus walked in the tide looking for something, Harry wasn't sure what, but he knew that Severus was just as relaxed as he was.

It was the second day of the impromptu holiday that Severus had taken them on. As far as Harry knew, no one knew where they were. All Kingsley and the Weasleys knew was that they were off resting and relaxing.

Giving up on watching, Harry joined Severus, slipping his hand into the Potions Master's. "What are we looking for?"

"Shells, univalve shells. Without hermit crabs preferably."

**(o.o)**

"I know that you were having fun," Kingsley ignored the sand that was making small piles on his floor and desk. He was just very glad that they both were suitable dressed, as he had pulled them in without warning. " and really needed the break, but"

"Get on with it," Severus brushed the sand off his shorts before he sat down. "Persuasion is not needed here. We both know that we can be called in at a moments notice."

"I can at least attempt to be persuasive," Kingsley smiled at the glares he received. "Guess not."

 


End file.
